Bridging the Gap: How the Safe & Together Model and Perpetrator Programs Work Hand in Hand
By the Safe & Together Institute Team
When it comes to protecting children from domestic abuse, the old approach of working in silos is no longer sufficient. The Safe & Together Model and domestic abuse perpetrator programs like Scotland’s Caledonian System are proving that when evidence-based interventions work together, they create powerful synergies that better protect families and hold perpetrators accountable.
Understanding the Alliance
The Safe & Together Model is an internationally recognized framework that helps child welfare professionals become domestic abuse–informed. Rather than operating separately from perpetrator intervention programs, it creates natural partnerships that strengthen both approaches. The Caledonian System, Scotland’s national behavior change program for men convicted of domestic abuse, exemplifies how these two methodologies can complement each other.
Shared Foundation: Perpetration as a Parenting Choice
Both approaches share a fundamental principle: Domestic abuse perpetration is a parenting choice. This perspective shifts the focus from blaming mothers for “failing to protect” to holding fathers accountable for their impact on children and family functioning. When we view domestic abuse through this lens, we can:
Better understand how perpetrators’ patterns of behavior harm children
Partner more effectively with survivors
Create more accurate assessments of family needs
Develop interventions that address root causes rather than symptoms
The Power of Pattern-Based Assessment
One of the strongest connections between these approaches is their emphasis on understanding perpetrators’ full patterns of coercive control. Both models recognize that domestic abuse extends far beyond physical violence to include:
Undermining the partner’s parenting authority
Creating unsafe situations that directly endanger children
Destabilizing the family’s housing, finances, and social connections
Using children as tools of control
This comprehensive understanding allows practitioners to map how a perpetrator’s behavior creates multiple pathways to harm, leading to more targeted and effective interventions.
Breaking Down Professional Silos
When areas implement both approaches, something remarkable happens: Professionals across different sectors begin speaking the same language about domestic abuse. Whether it’s sheriffs, children’s reporters, health visitors, or mental health professionals, everyone develops a shared understanding of:
How to assess perpetrator patterns
How to avoid victim-blaming language
How to prioritize child safety while supporting family preservation
How to evaluate meaningful behavior change versus surface compliance
Real-World Impact: The Marketa and Aleksander Case
Our companion document for the Safe & Together Model and domestic abuse perpetrator programmes includes a powerful case study that illustrates these principles in action. When professionals initially encountered this Polish family, they focused their concerns on the mother’s parenting and presentation. However, when a Safe & Together–trained Caledonian worker facilitated a case mapping session, the team discovered that:
The father’s controlling behavior was causing the family instability
The mother was making extraordinary efforts to protect her children
Professional responses were actually reinforcing the perpetrator’s tactics
A coordinated, perpetrator-focused approach could keep the family together safely
This case demonstrates how collaborative assessment can completely reframe our understanding of family dynamics and lead to more effective interventions.
Avoiding the Service Referral Trap
Both models emphasize a crucial point: Simply referring perpetrators to programs doesn’t automatically reduce risk. Instead, they focus on evaluating real behavior change through three key questions:
Naming the behaviors: Has the perpetrator admitted to a meaningful portion of what he has done?
Claiming the harm: Can he articulate the impact of his actions on others?
Making real changes: What concrete behavioral changes has he demonstrated?
This approach prevents the dangerous assumption that program completion equals successful change.
Addressing Complex Intersections
Modern families dealing with domestic abuse often face multiple, intersecting challenges including substance abuse, mental health issues, and various forms of discrimination. Both approaches recognize that these factors don't cause domestic abuse but can complicate intervention efforts. By understanding these intersections, practitioners can:
Avoid simple cause-and-effect thinking
Recognize how perpetrators may exploit these vulnerabilities
Coordinate treatment across multiple service providers
Address systemic barriers that affect marginalized communities
Implementation Strategies
Organizations looking to strengthen the connection between child protection and perpetrator intervention can:
Start with training: Ensure both child welfare workers and perpetrator program staff receive Safe & Together training to develop shared language and assessment tools.
Create formal partnerships: Establish information-sharing protocols and joint case planning processes between agencies.
Focus on behavior change goals: Develop case plans that specify concrete behavioral expectations rather than just service completion.
Use specialized tools: Implement assessment frameworks like the Perpetrator Pattern Mapping Tool to facilitate cross-sector collaboration.
Challenge victim-blaming language: Train all professionals to “pivot to the perpetrator” when discussions focus inappropriately on survivor behavior.
Looking Forward
The integration of approaches like Safe & Together and the Caledonian System represents an evolution in how we respond to domestic abuse. Rather than treating it as a relationship problem or focusing solely on survivor services, this collaborative model:
Centers accountability on the person causing harm
Recognizes the critical role of fathers in family functioning
Supports survivors without requiring them to leave relationships
Protects children while preserving family connections where safely possible
The Bottom Line
When perpetrator intervention programs and child welfare systems work together using evidence-based frameworks, everyone benefits. Children are safer, survivors receive better support, and perpetrators face genuine accountability for change. Most importantly, this approach recognizes that domestic abuse is not a private family matter but a community responsibility that requires coordinated, professional response.
The Safe & Together Model and programs like the Caledonian System show us that we don't have to choose between family preservation and child safety. With the right tools, training, and collaborative spirit, we can achieve both.